ICC hopeful BCCI will comply with WADA clause

Despite BCCI's tough stance on the WADA's contentious anti-doping clause, the ICC is confident that the board will eventually comply with the code.

Written by NDTVSports

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New Delhi:

Despite Indian Cricket Board's tough stance on the WADA's contentious anti-doping clause, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is confident that the BCCI will eventually comply with the international code.

"It is a difficult situation to be in no doubt, but we are confident of convincing the Indian players and the BCCI," ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat told an Indian newspaper from China.

Indian cricketers have issues with WADA's clause that requires them to give in the information of their whereabouts three months in advance, even when out of action. The BCCI backed its players' refusal to sign the directive and rejected the clause.

Lorgat said the Indian Board could not be an exception to a universally endorsed and adopted code. He, however, added that the ICC was exploring various options to convince the Indians.

"Every board has signed the code and we're sure the Indian players and the BCCI president, Shashank Manohar, will understand this. Even if they don't agree they need to abide by the universal code in the larger interest of the game."

He also said it was not possible for the ICC to escape the WADA code as it had become its a signatory in 2006 and its board unanimously approved out-of-competition tests on cricketers in accordance with amendments made by WADA to the code.

"We cannot reject the code. We have to implement it. All we need to do now is to properly explain to the BCCI the need to be Wada-compliant," he said.

The International Cricket Council's Executive Board is likely to discuss the BCCI's stand on WADA's anti-doping clause over tele-conference soon to try and break the deadlock on the vexed issue.